"Smoke-free hospitals" are--at least in the public's perception--regarded as a matter of course since the laws to protect non-smokers came into effect. A professional understanding of addictive diseases treatment and clinical practice indicates that healthcare services must offer more than bans to fulfill their responsibilities. They must also systematically integrate smoking cessation, motivation, and counselling in their treatment program. In a pilot project, the Federal Ministry of Health supported the development of a "Network of Smoke-free Hospitals and Healthcare Services", so that these requirements could be achieved by silver-certified facilities on the basis of European standards.